The switch of a railroad track includes a switching rail which terminates in a sharply pointed end, adapted to be placed against another rail in the switch system. The flanged railroad wheel is guided off the last mentioned rail, across the pointed end of the switching rail, and then along the switching rail, to direct the railroad wheels along another track as may be desired.
As a continuing problem in the maintenance of switches, the pointed end of the switching rail is relatively fragile, and can be bent or blunted by impact with the flange of the wheel of a railroad car. This can cause subsequent switch failure and even derailment. Accordingly, it has been conventional to provide switch point guards, which are auxiliary rails positioned to press against the edge of the wheel opposed to the flange of the rail wheel, and positioned so that the flange of the rail wheel is laterally spaced from the switch point to prevent its impacting against the thin end of the switching rail.
For example, certain switch point guards recommended by the American Railway Engineering Association include a guard rail for the purpose of controlling the lateral position of rail wheels as they pass by the switch point. The guard rail is firmly secured to a base which, in turn, is spiked into the ties of the railroad track. A disadvantage with this, however, lies in the fact that the guard rails tend to wear with use, since they catch the railroad car wheels and force them into a position where the wheel flanges will not damage the switching rail. Accordingly, as the guard rails wear and must be replaced from time to time, eventually the ties themselves must be replaced, since the repeated hammering of spikes into the ties destroys their usefulness.
Similarly, The Bethlehem Steel Co. manufactures a switch point guard rail, for example the model 755, in which the rail is bolted to a plate which rests on the rail bed.
However, as the guard rail wears, it must, of course, be replaced.
In accordance with this invention, a switch point guard rail system is provided in which a guard rail, after wear in use over a period of time, may be advanced into a second position for further use, rather than being replaced. Accordingly, the need for replacement guard rails is substantially cut over the normal replacement rate in the prior art systems.
Furthermore, the guard rail of this invention is replaceable without having to pull spikes from a tie, and then redrive the spikes to install the new equipment. Also, the system of this invention is compact and simple to install, while providing the significant advantage of substantially extending the useful life of the guard rails.